Pinning device



22, 1967 M. J. PETERS ETAL 3,336,638

PINNING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19. 1965 INVENTORS M v/Q ON PE 7525 COLLETTE I. PETEQS 3,336,638 PINNING DEVICE Myron J. Peters and Collette I. Peters, both of 4003 Texas St., San Diego, Calif. 92104 Filed Oct. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 497,928 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Our invention comprises a badge device for pinning the stems of a flower corsage against a garment comprising a flat, elongated, resiliently flexible body having pinpassing holes, integral folded-under end extensions, and a medial elongated unobstructed slot, and a pointed pin inserted through said holes and slot.

Our invention has to do with a badge-like device which is particularly useful in pinning corsages, boutonnieres and the like on garments, although it is also useful as an identification badge.

The conventional way of pinning a corsage on a garment has always been to insert a pin through the garment on each side of the stem portion of the corsage and engage the pin over the stern portion. That, however, leaves the pointed end of the pin exposed so that it becomes a personal injury hazard or catch-all. Even if the wearer initially endeavors to embed the pointed end of the pin by engaging it in the fabric of the garment, it soon disengages from the fabric and becomes exposed. Also, as is well known, the fabric of a garment offers little or no effective resistance to axial escape of the pin, in which event the corsage falls off. Moreover, the major length portion of the pin is exposed to view.

Conventional identification badges, such as convention badges, are normally secured to the garment by an ordinary safety pin, one leg of which is loosely attached to the badge, and the other leg of which engages in the fabric of the garment, without compressing the fabric between the pin and the badge. Thus, although the pointed end of the pin is initially shielded by the safety hook of the pin, its looseness enables the pin to become disengaged from its hook, allowing the badge to fall off.

Also, such loosely suspended badges are relatively free to swing and assume askew positions which render them rather unsightly.

An object of our invention is to provide a badge or pinning device which overcomes those problems by a novel construction wherein the pointed end of the attaching pin is dependably shielded against becoming exposed; wherein the fabric of the garment is effectively compressed between the pin and badge, so as to insure a firm mounting; and wherein the body of the badge firmly shields the attaching pin against accidental axial escape. Also inherent in the construction of our device is that it provides an adequate display surface area for displaying identification or advertising indicia.

In general, we accomplish those objects by using, as the body of the badge element, a resiliently flexible material having a portion disposed in positive covering or shielding relationship to the pointed end of the pin element. The body is provided with a novel arrangement of pin passing holes such that, when the pin is inserted, the body becomes flexed into a sufliciently tortuous section that the inherent resiliency of the body effectively binds the pin against escape; and inasmuch as the pin element passes through the fabric of the garment beneath the stem portion of the corsage, not only is the major length portion of the pin concealed from view, but the fabric is so compressed between the pin and body that a firm mounting is assured.

United States Patent 3,336,638 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 Another important feature of our invention, which is particularly useful in its adaptation as a corsage pinning device, is that, in the body of the badge element, we provide an elongated viewing slot or opening which enables the user properly to initially position the body relative to the stem portion of a corsage, as well as to visually select the points at which the pin enters and emerges from the fabric.

For the purpose of further explaining our invention, reference will. be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of our invention as a device for pinning corsages or the like on a garment; I

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, but showing the ends of the device folded under;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation showing our device in position pinning a corsage to a garment;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another variational form of our invention in its adaptation as a badge or corsage pinning device;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of another variational form of our device; and

FIG. 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, we show our device as comprising a body 5 of resiliently flexible material such as plastic or glazed, somewhat stiff paper or other suitable material. The body has integral end portions 6, 7, which, when the device is in use, are folded under the contiguous body portions along the fold lines 8. The end portions are shown as having rounded terminal edges, although it will be understood that they may be squared or otherwise shaped as desired.

Medially between its ends, the body is provided with an elongated opening or slot 9 for the purpose of facilitating mounting. Spaced from each end of the opening 9, the body is provided with pin passing holes 10, 11 and 12, 13, to pass a conventional headed and pointed pin P for pinning the device to a garment G.

To pin the device on a garment G in position firmly clamping the stem portion S of the corsage or the like, the procedure is as follows: First, the body 5 is placed against the stem portion S and the pointed end of the pin is inserted through the registering holes 10, 11, after the end portions have been folded under, thence over the top surface portion 27 of the body, thence through the portion of the garment which underlies the opening 9, thence over the body portion 28, and thence through the pin-receiving hole 12, the pointed end of the pin thus coming to rest between the folded end 7 and the contiguous portion of the body. When the pin is inserted from the right end of the body, as shown, the pin passing hole 13 is not used, and likewise when the pin is inserted from the left end of the body, the pin passing hole 10 would not be used.

By reference to FIG. 4, it will be seen that when the pin is thus inserted, the body is flexed into a tortuous longitudinal section, which effectively resiliently binds the pin against accidental escape and also strengthens the body.

It is our preference that body portion 5, at each side of the elongated opening 9, be of sufficient width to allow for the display of any desired identification or advertising indicia (not shown).

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the body 19 is of like material and has a medial elongated slot or opening 21 as well as pin passing holes 22, 23, adjacent the ends. The body 19 has secured, as by cement, to the undersurface of one of its end portions a strip 30 of pin-pierceable material such, for instance, as cork, felt or other suitable material. In inserting the pin, its pointed end is forced to pierce this strip 30 whereby to shield the point.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8, the body 35 of the device is shown as being comprised of a sheet of said resiliently flexible material folded in half, as shown at 36, so that the body is comprised of an outer sheet 37 and an inner sheet 38 in substantially parallel relationship. The spaced, aligned, pin-passing holes 40, 41 are provided through both sheets 37, 38 adjacent the free ends of the sheets, and a pin-passing hole 42 also provided through both sheets, while a pin-passing hole 43 is provided only in the outer sheet 37.

To pin the badge on a garment, either in its use as a corsage clamping device or as a mere identificationbadge, the pin is inserted from the free end portions of the sheets and is inserted through the holes 40, 41, thence through the garment, and thence through holes 42 and through hole 43 (which only extends through the outer sheet), so that the pointed end of the pin comes to rest between the two sheets at the fold and is thus effectively shielded from exposure.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that when the device is used to clamp the stem portion of a corsage or the like against a garment, the pin passes through the portion of the garment underlying the stern portion so that the major length of the pin is thus concealed from view, and the body firmly compresses the fabric between the pin and body. The pointed end of the pin is also etiectively shielded from exposure, and the resiliency of the body, when flexed into said tortuous section, binds the pin against accidental escape, and the body is also strengthened.

We claim:

1. In a badge device for clamping the stem portions of a flower corsage against a fabric garment, a fiat, elongated, resiliently flexible body adapted to overlie said stem portions, said body presenting: pin-passing holes, an integral folded-under extension at each end, and a medial uncovered pin-passing elongated slot through which are rendered visible the underlying said stem portions and adjacent portions of said garment; and a pin inserted through said holes, slot and portions of said garment underlying said stem portions.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein one of said foldedunder end extensions and the contiguous portion of the body have registering pin-passing holes and wherein the other of said extensions shields the pointed end of said pin.

JAMES L. JONES, JIL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BADGE DEVICE FOR CLAMPING THE STEM PORTIONS OF A FLOWER CORSAGE AGAINST A FABRIC GARMENT, A FLAT, ELONGATED, RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE BODY ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID STEM PORTIONS, SAID BODY PRESENTING: PIN-PASSING HOLES, AND INTEGRAL FOLDED-UNDER EXTENSION AT EACH END, AND A MEDIAL UNCOVERED PIN-PASSING ELONGATED SLOT THROUGH WHICH ARE RENDERED VISIBLE THE UNDERLYING SAID STEM PORTIONS AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID GARMENT; AND A PIN INSERTED THROUGH SAID HOLES, SLOT AND PORTIONS OF SAID GARMENT UNDERLYING SAID STEM PORTIONS. 